Hovde was Brown County's pick in GOP Senate primary

Aug. 15, 2012

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Written by

Doug Schneider and Charles Davis

Green Bay Press-Gazette

Voters take to the polls to vote in the primary election on August 14, 2012 at the Allouez Village Hall in Allouez, Wisconsin. Megan McCormick/Press-Gazette

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Eric Hovde may not have won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, but he was the choice of Northeastern Wisconsin voters thanks to a comfortable win in the region’s most populous county.

The conservative businessman captured 45 percent of the vote in Brown County, outpolling Mark Neumann 12,120 to 7,057. Former Gov. Tommy Thompson finished third in Brown with 5,666 votes. Jeff Fitzgerald was fourth with 2,068.

In Shawano County, Hovde won with 1,828 of the 4,229 votes cast. Hovde also led by a comfortable margin in Oconto County with 14 percent of the votes yet to be counted. Neumann was second and Thompson third in each.

Hovde supporters said they favored the political newcomer, though some said he might not be the best choice to win in the Nov. 6 general election. The winner will succeed veteran Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl, who is retiring.

“I’m taking a chance on an outsider,” said Hovde supporter Daniel Bins of Green Bay. But he said Thompson would have a better chance to beat Democrat U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin in the general.